Would you have returned Jeter’s 3,000th hit? I wouldn’t

Christian Lopez seems like a good guy, but he may have cost himself a lot of money. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Christian Lopez is superman.

No, wait. He’s Gandhi.

Oh! Even better — he’s Mother Teresa.

Or at least that’s the impression we’ve been given of the 23-year-old Yankees fan who caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000th career hit, which happened to be a home run, which is the reason we’re having this oh-so-heartwarming story shoved down our collective throats.

In case you haven’t heard, Lopez is the guy who came up with Jeter’s home-run ball, then promptly returned it to America’s favorite shortstop without asking for anything in return.

Of course, the Yankees insisted on attempting compensation, giving Lopez some signed baseballs, bats and jerseys, as well as luxury box seats for the rest of the season.

Then earlier this week, we learned that Lopez’s good deed may not go unpunished. According to this story on ESPNNewYork.com, there’s speculation that Lopez may have to pay thousands of dollars in taxes on the items he received from the Yankees. So Miller High Life and a couple other companies are stepping up to help Lopez absorb any potential taxes the IRS may thrust upon him.

Which wouldn’t be as big of an issue had Lopez simply taken the most financially prudent course of action.

He should have held on to the thing, then sold it at auction to the highest bidder.

Look, I understand why he’s receiving so much praise. And obviously, he has to be a pretty good dude if he’s willing to part ways with an item — which would surely turn at least a six-figure profit if sold — in exchange for some memorabilia and seats to watch some baseball games.

But I also think he’s got a screw loose.

Because this is what he should have said:

“You want the ball, Derek? Sure thing. You can have it. For $500,000. I’ll take a check. That’s Christian, with a C.”

That’s a kind enough gesture, no? He’d be giving Jeter first dibs on the ball, and that dollar amount would be a drop in the bucket, considering Jeter is set to make a shade under $15 million this season.

What, you think that would be selfish? Well, you’re damn right it’s selfish. But no more so than Jeter, who played hardball during contract negotiations during the offseason and is being paid considerably more than he’s worth. Also, don’t forget that immediately after Lopez performed this astonishing act of goodwill, Jeter decided to blow off the All-Star game entirely, reportedly citing exhaustion as the reason he didn’t travel to Phoenix for the festivities.

But, oh, hey, yeah, thanks for the ball, kid.

You really think Jeter gives a rip about the sacrifice made by a 23-year-old cell phone salesman from Highland Mills? Do you really think Jeter SHOULD give a rip about a 23-year-old cell phone salesman from Highland Mills?

No. Just like Lopez shouldn’t care about doing the “right” thing — especially when the “right” thing involves the forfeiture of a potential six (or seven?) figure pay-day, all in the name of being a good Yankee.

Of course, he’s going to reap some benefits. In addition to the memorabilia and tickets, ESPNNewYork reports that Mitchell Modell, owner of Modell’s Sporting Goods, is giving Lopez a 2009 World Series Ring and five percent of his company’s profits for a week. He’s guaranteed him $25,000, as has another company, which will help pay off Lopez’s student loans but still pales in comparison to the price that ball would have commanded on the open market.

Modell said Lopez is “truly a New Yorker,” and a “class act.”

OK, so the second part is true. But truly a New Yorker? Please. You know who truly is a new Yorker? Jeffrey Maier, the kid who helped the Yankees cheat their way to a 5-4 win over Baltimore in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS by reaching over the fence and snagging a home run ball that would have been caught by Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco had Maier not taken it from him.

See the difference? Lopez gave away a very valuable possession that rightfully belonged to him. Maier took possession of a baseball that was still in play, truly helping the home team win in the process.